Digging into the past....

[MrTom]

On another site a conversation about old fishing lures led to some memories. Back in the late 50's/early 60's Rochester had a Dayton's store in the downtown area. It had a very nice sporting goods area in the lower level. I bought a pair of Savage Anschutz .22 and .22 mag rifles there. Very high quality, target grade rifles and expensive as heck, but they were by far the most accurate guns I have ever owned.... of course I had great eyesight back then too. The fella that managed that department, Ralph Hettig, became a good friend. When Daytons made the move to close the sporting goods department, Ralph bought the firearms stock and along with personal his personal collection of antique firearms he opened Wild Goose Sports here in Rochester and had the store for several decades until his health began to prevent him from running it. He sold it off and today its nothing from what it was.

Ralph's wife was a shooter of black powder long guns and probably knew more about old flintlocks and percussion arms than most avid men would ever know. Ralph enjoyed making smoke right along side her. Each year they went to what is called the Big Island Rendezvous which is still held in Alber Lea, Minnesota. I remember Dee getting her goods laid out on the gun counter. I recall her sitting at a machine grinding flints for her several flintlocks that she took and shot. I can still see her casting her bullets. I have some of the bullets she cast somewhere in all my old stuff and if memory serves me right, she shot .58 and I believe .62 cal rifles. Aside from the Big Island Rendezvous she competed vigorously and had a small mountain of medals and trophies that she'd won over the years, where I haven't a clue. I bought my first factory black powder rifle from her, a .50 cal T/C Renegade. I'd assembled a couple other kit guns prior to the Renegade so I wasn't totally in the dark but I remember her taking time to go over things about the rifle and got me set up with the goods to start shooting it right away. Dee had an attitude and anyone walking into that shop for a gun or bait or tackle that thought they'd get one over on her usually left with their heinie in their hand. Quite the gal. Ralph was no different. Back then it was unusual for a woman to work in the world of guns let alone muzzies. I really miss the two of them.

Its amazing how some simple conversation can drag a guy back over 50 years and recall things just a clear and plain as the day they happened.

 

[Jitterbug]

I was in Wild Goose a bunch of times 15-20 years ago, when Mrs. Jitterbug was “doctoring” at Mayo. The shop was awesome at that time, about 1/2 shop and 1/2 museum!

1) I didn’t know Dayton’s had a Rochester store.
2) I also didn’t know that they had a Sporting Goods department.
3) I REALLY didn’t know that they had a Sporting Foods department that sold guns! That kind of blows my mind.

I grew up in St. Paul. I have great memories of going to the big Christmas displays at both the St. Paul and Minneapolis Dayton’s stores. My sister and I took my mom to the very last Christmas display at the Minneapolis store, a few years back.

I always get nostalgic seeing the Christmas display in Miracle on 34th Street… reminds me of being at Dayton’s, as a kid!

 

[MrTom]

I was in Wild Goose a bunch of times 15-20 years ago, when Mrs. Jitterbug was “doctoring” at Mayo. The shop was awesome at that time, about 1/2 shop and 1/2 museum!

1) I didn’t know Dayton’s had a Rochester store.
2) I also didn’t know that they had a Sporting Goods department.
3) I REALLY didn’t know that they had a Sporting Foods department that sold guns! That kind of blows my mind.

I grew up in St. Paul. I have great memories of going to the big Christmas displays at both the St. Paul and Minneapolis Dayton’s stores. My sister and I took my mom to the very last Christmas display at the Minneapolis store, a few years back.

I always get nostalgic seeing the Christmas display in Miracle on 34th Street… reminds me of being at Dayton’s, as a kid!

Ralph had guns from every war the US was involved in, including the war of our independence. His most valuable weapons were not in the shop.

Rochester's Daytons was on the corner of 2nd street sw and north Broadway, on the nw corner.

Mayo Clinic is wonderful to have right here in town, terrible to need it.

 

[bronko220002]

Good old memories for sure. Our town had a sporting goods store that had a luncheon counter in the front but the back was nothing but fishing stuff and wall to wall guns - a row standing on their butts on the floor and another row about eye level. I don't recall there being any less than about 300 assorted rifles, shotguns and muzzleloaders at any given time both new and used. Plus the glass case of handguns. I remember one of the clerks showing me a new Colt Python and telling me "who's gonna pay $127 for a revolver?" OH MAN - take me back and I'll get a couple cases of them now at that price!
I used to work at that place every year right before fishing and hunting seasons to help sell licenses fill reel spools with fresh line and mount scopes etc.
Now, although the store is still there, the luncheon counter is gone and so are the guns. They sell clothes and uniforms now for the local teams and do all kinds of screen printing.

 

[Jitterbug]

I remember one of the clerks showing me a new Colt Python and telling me "who's gonna pay $127 for a revolver?"

Probably the same fool that’d pay $1.00 for a gallon of gasoline…

 

[bronko220002]

Probably the same fool that’d pay $1.00 for a gallon of gasoline…

I remember when gas was .33 a gallon and also saying "I'll quit smoking when they get op to $1 a pack......LOL. It's been about 20 years now since I quit and thank goodness with the price of cigarettes today. My neighbor smokes about 1/2 pack a day and his wife about 1 1/2 packs. I just can't fathom the money they're wasting.

 

[Fishbc]

I remember when gas was .33 a gallon and also saying "I'll quit smoking when they get op to $1 a pack......LOL. It's been about 20 years now since I quit and thank goodness with the price of cigarettes today. My neighbor smokes about 1/2 pack a day and his wife about 1 1/2 packs. I just can't fathom the money they're wasting.

Gas was 34 cents when I got my drivers license. Could drink at 18.
Blue Ribbon beer was 45 cents at the bar!!

 

[bronko220002]

Gas was 34 cents when I got my drivers license. Could drink at 18.
Blue Ribbon beer was 45 cents at the bar!!

45 cents. Good grief we got 12 oz drafts for a quarter

 

[Fishbc]

45 cents. Good grief we got 12 oz drafts for a quarter

This was 1975. Beer was bottled.
No idea what draft beer was.
Maybe you are older than me?? Lol

 

[ENCORE50A]

I remember gas as low as 17¢ a gallon during the "gas wars".

 

[Fishbc]

I remember gas as low as 17¢ a gallon during the "gas wars".

I remember 19 cents as a kid

 

[MrTom]

Gas wars here had gas at 12 cents and the gas station I worked at after school, try 6th grade, still had the lift outside. This was back about 1961/62. I made about .30 for three hours of gas pumping a couple days a week after school.